PURPOSE: The biases that may influence objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scoring are well understood, and recent research has attempted to establish the magnitude of their impact. However, the influence of examiner experience, clinical seniority, and occupation on communication and physical examination scores in OSCEs has not yet been clearly established. METHODS: We compared the mean scores awarded for generic and clinical communication and physical examination skills in 2 undergraduate medicine OSCEs in relation to examiner characteristics (gender, examining experience, occupation, seniority, and speciality). The statistical significance of the differences was calculated using the 2-tailed independent t-test and analysis of variance. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventeen students were examined by 237 examiners at the University of New South Wales in 2014 and 2016. Examiner gender, occupation (academic, clinician, or clinical tutor), and job type (specialist or generalist) did not significantly impact scores. Junior doctors gave consistently higher scores than senior doctors in all domains, and this difference was statistically significant for generic and clinical communication scores. Examiner experience was significantly inversely correlated with generic communication scores. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the assessment of examination skills may be less susceptible to bias because this process is fairly prescriptive, affording greater scoring objectivity. We recommend training to define the marking criteria, teaching curriculum, and expected level of performance in communication skills to reduce bias in OSCE assessment.
Australia ; Awards and Prizes ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Curriculum ; Humans ; New South Wales ; Occupations ; Physical Examination

BACKGROUND: Professional dance is a physically demanding career path with a high injury prevalence, yet an ingrained culture of hiding or pushing through injuries. Developing better knowledge surrounding the cultural beliefs and behaviors related to injury reporting is critical to understand their incidence and burden. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate injury fear and injury reporting behaviors in professional dancers in Australia. METHODS: This study utilized data collected in a cross-sectional survey of professional dancers in Australia. Descriptive analysis of injury fear and reporting stigma are presented with comparisons between subgroups (full-time versus part-time dancers; men versus women) conducted using two-sided Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: A total of 146 professional dancers were included. Over half (63%) of the respondents reported that they fear sustaining a dance-related injury, that they believe there is still a stigma surrounding injuries in dance (62%), and that this stigma has led to a delay in reporting or seeking care for an injury (51%). A lower proportion of part-time than full-time dancers reported that they would usually tell someone within their dance employment about an injury (35.1% vs. 59.6%, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Professional dancers are at risk of losing contracts or roles if they are injured, and therefore, it is common to dance through their occurrence. Many dancers, particularly those dancing part-time, are unwilling to tell their employers about their injuries. Action is required to improve this culture regarding injury reporting and help seeking for more effective injury understanding, prevention, and management in dance.
Australia ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dancing ; Employment ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo identify the prevalence, incidence and trend of urinary incontinence in the elderly over a two-year period.

METHODSWe randomly selected 4187 elderly people using the State Electoral Data Base in South Australia. Questionnaire surveys were conducted in 1992 with a response rate of 53.4%. The following two surveys were conducted 12 and 24 months later. A total of 2087 elderly people completed all three surveys.

RESULTSUrge incontinence had a higher prevalence rate, with 36.6% to 41.6% of the elderly having at least an occasional problem (with 7.5% to 9.6% having problems often), compared to 23.4% to 28.8% having at least an occasional problem with stress incontinence (with 3.3% to 5.0% having problems often). Combined incontinence and urge incontinence were more common than stress incontinence alone. The incidence rates of urge incontinence and stress incontinence were 19.8% (with 3.1% often) and 14.5% (with 1.9% often), respectively. The trends toward incontinence during the two-year period indicated increasing trends in the elderly.

CONCLUSIONUrinary incontinence is an important health problem in the elderly and our data show that it has an increasing trend for future.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Prevalence ; South Australia ; epidemiology ; Urinary Incontinence ; epidemiology ; etiology

No abstract available.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Australia/epidemiology ; Colonic Diseases, Functional/epidemiology/*physiopathology/*therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Human ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Sex Distribution

OBJECTIVEThis study was to elucidate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types and cofactors in the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

METHODSTwo hundred and twelve women with CIN and 427 women with normal cervical cytology (control group) were recruited from China and Australia. A questionnaire was administered to each participant to obtain the demographic and risk factor information. Cervical biopsies or smears were taken to detect HPV DNA by PCR and to identify HPV types by direct sequencing and/or Amplicor hybridisation. Data were analyzed by logistic regression.

RESULTSHPV prevalence rates of specimens from Chinese and Australian were 11% and 15% among controls (P >0.05), with 99% and 85% of CINs (P<0.001), respectively. The presence of any type of HPV DNA was strongly associated with CIN with OR 43.3 for Chinese and OR 541.6 for Australian women. The strongest risk was for HPV16,followed by HPV31 in Australians, but HPV58, 59 in Chinese women. The risk for multiple HPV infection was stronger in the Australians than that in the Chinese cohort. Except for HPV infection, educational attainment was unexpectedly associated with an increased risk for CIN in Chinese, and cancer history in family was a risk factor for Australians. For the combined cohorts, educational attainment, and frequency of vitamin consumption were identified to be risk factors for CIN.

CONCLUSIONCervical HPV DNA was a major risk factor, with the highest relative risk for type 16 HPV infection for CIN. There were variations in the distribution of HPV genotypes and cofactors in China versus Australia and in CIN.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Australia ; epidemiology ; Biopsy ; Case-Control Studies ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; epidemiology ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Papillomaviridae ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Vaginal Smears ; Young Adult

INTRODUCTIONTo assess the association between sensory and cognitive function, and the potential influence of visual function on cognitive function assessment, in a sample of clients accessing aged care services.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe recruited 260 non-institutionalised, frail, older individuals who sought aged care services. Visual acuity was assessed using a LogMAR chart and hearing function was measured using a portable pure-tone air conduction audiometer. Visual impairment was defined as visual acuity (VA) <6/12 (<39 letters read correctly in the better eye), moderate-to-severe hearing impairment as hearing thresholds >40 decibels (better ear) and cognitive impairment as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score <24.

RESULTSVision and hearing assessments were randomly performed in 168 and 164 aged care clients, respectively. Visual acuity correlated weakly with MMSE scores, either including (r = 0.27, P <0.001) or excluding (r = 0.21, P = 0.006) vision-related MMSE items. After partialling out the effect of age, the association remained (r = 0.23, P = 0.013 including, or r = 0.18, P = 0.044 excluding vision-related items). No correlation was found between MMSE scores and hearing thresholds (r = -0.07, P = 0.375). After adjusting for age, sex and stroke, mean MMSE scores were lower in persons with visual impairment than those with normal vision (25.2 + 0.5 versus 26.8 + 0.4 including, or 18.2 + 0.5 versus 19.2 + 0.3 excluding vision-related items), but were similar between subjects with none or mild and those with moderate-to-severe hearing loss (26.3 + 0.4 versus 26.0 + 0.4).

CONCLUSIONSIn this study sample, visual and cognitive functions were modestly associated, after excluding the influence of visual impairment on the MMSE assessment and adjusting for age. Hearing thresholds were not found to be associated with cognitive function.

Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Australia ; epidemiology ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology ; Female ; Frail Elderly ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Services for the Aged ; utilization ; Hearing Loss ; complications ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; Risk Assessment ; Sensation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vision Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant primary liver cancer in many countries and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the Asia-Pacific region. The incidence of HCC is higher in men and in those over 40 years old. In the Asia-Pacific region, chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections are the main etiological agents; in particular, chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is still the major cause in all Asia-Pacific countries except for Japan. Over the past two decades, the incidence of HCC has remained stable in countries in the region except for Singapore and Hong Kong, where the incidence for both sexes is currently decreasing. Chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC) is an important cause of HCC in Japan, representing 70% of HCCs. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of CHC has been increasing in many Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and India. Despite advancements in treatment, HCC is still an important health problem because of the associated substantial mortality. An effective surveillance program could offer early diagnosis and hence better treatment options. Antiviral treatment for both CHB and CHC is effective in reducing the incidence of HCC.
Australia ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Early Diagnosis ; Epidemiology* ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Incidence ; India ; Japan ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; New Zealand ; Prevalence ; Singapore

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in an Australian hospital and highlight considerations for other Asian countries that are considering establishing or modifying existing CDI surveillance programs. METHODS: An observational study design with dynamic population was used. Data from all persons hospitalized for more than 48 hours over 4 years in a tertiary hospital in Australia were analyzed. Persons with healthcare associated, healthcare facility onset CDIs were identified. The calculation of the relative risk was performed to compare the occurrence of CDI in different groups. RESULTS: Of the total 58,942 admissions examined, 158 admissions had CDI. The incidence of CDI per 1,000 admissions for the entire study period was 2.68 (95% confidence interval [2.28, 3.13]). There was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of CDI in 2010 compared to that of 2007 (p < .001). The incidence of CDI increased from the 30-39-year age group onwards. CONCLUSION: Comparisons between this study and others are challenging due to the lack of standardized definitions for CDI internationally. Noting the increases of CDI internationally and the associated mortality, there is increasing importance to monitor and report the incidence of this infection worldwide.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Australia ; Clostridium difficile* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Infection Control ; Mortality ; Observational Study ; Tertiary Care Centers

The aim of this study was to describe the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) obtained from individual cows in Korea. Twelve MAP-positive fecal DNA samples and 19 MAP isolates were obtained from 10 cattle herds located in 5 provinces in Korea. In addition, 5 MAP isolates obtained from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and 3 isolates from Australia were genotyped for comparison with the domestic isolates. The most prevalent strains in Korea were of the “bison-type” genotype (23 of 31 fecal DNA/isolates) and were distributed nationwide. The remaining MAP isolates (8) and all of the foreign isolates were identified as “cattle-type”. The bison-type strains which were discriminated only as INMV 68 in variable-number tandem repeats of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU-VNTR) typing. Multilocus short sequence repeat (MLSSR) typing differentiated the bison-type strains into 3 different subtypes. The cattle-type strains were divided into 3 subtypes by MIRU-VNTR and 8 subtypes by MLSSR. The allelic diversities in the MIRU-VNTR and MLSSR results were calculated as 0.567 and 0.866, respectively. These results suggest that MIRU-VNTR typing cannot provide a sufficient description of the epidemiological situation of MAP. Therefore, an alternative method, such as MLSSR, is needed for typing of MAP strains to elucidate the molecular epidemiology of MAP infections. Overall, this study is the first epidemiological survey report in Korea using both MIRU-VNTR and MLSSR typing methods, and it has provided basic data necessary to elucidate the characteristics of MAP infections in Korea.
Animals ; Australia ; Cattle ; Czech Republic ; DNA ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Korea ; Methods ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis ; Mycobacterium avium ; Mycobacterium ; Paratuberculosis ; Slovakia ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVES: Research on workplace violence has been conducted, but rarely has been organized systematically. In this study, we summarize the definition and classification of workplace violence studies and review the literature on workplace violence. METHODS: Using academic search engines PubMed, Google Scholar and DBpia, we found 856 papers including “workplace violence” and “adverse social behavior” AND workplace in the title published until December 2018, and 208 papers were selected. The selected papers were classified by continent and country, year of publication, occupation, classification criteria of workplace violence, and research topic. RESULTS: By country, the number of articles in the United States was the most with 40 (19.2%), followed by China 27 (13%), Korea 16 (7.7%), and Taiwan and Australia 15 (7.2%). By job category, healthcare workers accounted for the largest portion with 162 (79.0%) of the total, and 80 of them were conducted on nurses. Other occupations included civil servants, manufacturing workers, toll collectors and wageworkers. Among the classification methods of workplace violence, 147 (67.4%) articles were classified as type and there was a difference in the type of violence defined for each article. In the research topic, 114 (44.2%) articles analyzed the effects of workplace violence, and 105 (40.7%) articles describe the prevalence and characteristics of workplace violence, and 23 (8.9%) articles analyzing the causes of violence. CONCLUSION: The research topic is biased toward the field of healthcare, so it is necessary to expand to include various occupations or other specified occupations. It is also necessary to prepare appropriate measures against workplace violence.
Australia ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; China ; Classification ; Delivery of Health Care ; Exposure to Violence ; Korea ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Publications ; Search Engine ; Taiwan ; United States ; Violence ; Workplace Violence